The Shallows - shark attack!

movie review

The Shallows

Starring: Blake Lively
Directed by: Jaume Collet-Serra
Tagline: Not just another day at the beach.

Hollywood’s fondness for revisiting familiar territories once again takes us to shark-infested waters in The Shallows, a survival thriller that doesn’t bring anything new to the table but does offer some suspense once it finally gets going.

The protagonist is Nancy Adams (Blake Lively), a medical student who makes her way to the same secret, secluded beach in Mexico that her late mother once visited. The American meets a couple of locals, and after surfing for a while, notices a whale carcass floating near her. As she catches the next wave, a shark bumps into her surfboard, knocks her into the water, and bites her leg. Alone and injured, Nancy manages to make her way to a small rock and tries to MacGyver her way out of her predicament, but her great white nemesis refuses to leave and menacingly circles her tiny outpost. Nancy must figure out how to make the short but dangerous journey to the shore by somehow beating the predator, and then get to safety.

The movie’s primary concern isn’t realism; how things unfold, especially towards the end, isn’t entirely plausible, but director Jaume Collet-Serra does, more or less, succeed in his mission of creating a gripping (albeit uneven) thriller. The Shallows loses some of its intensity because of its slow pace, especially when it starts to feel like the writers are struggling in their attempts to turn this tale into a full length film and stretching the plot a bit too thin in the process. You have to first watch Nancy doling out her ham-fisted back-story, even though her character didn’t need the background baggage to be more compelling; the proceedings would have been more intense had they just relied on the primal horror of her situation. Then you have to see her wading and surfing, waiting for something interesting to actually happen. But once the immense (although seemingly a tad inconsistent in size) shark surfaces, the film-makers successfully build the tension and amp up the suspense.

Lively remains at the centre of the adventure and carries the entire film by delivering a commanding, athletic performance, as she surfs, swims, screams, and grimaces for much of the movie’s one-and-a-half hour running time. Her main (and very charming) co-star is Stephen Seagull, a wounded bird that lands on the reef beside her, becoming her version of Wilson the volleyball and quickly turning into the only truly memorable element of the project.

Ultimately, The Shallows doesn’t bring anything new to the survival thriller genre. Once it finally kicks into gear, the movie does take you on a gripping, engaging ride, although, as with most such films, your enjoyment of the proceedings requires a fair amount of suspension of disbelief. While the movie can’t quite sustain the tension during its entire length, The Shallows does benefit from competent direction, beautiful cinematography and a (surprisingly) strong performance by its lead actress.

Rating: 3 out of 5

- By Sameen Amer

The Express Tribune - 9th August, 2016 *

Star Trek Beyond - the franchise races on

movie review

Star Trek Beyond

Starring: Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Karl Urban, Zoe Saldana, Simon Pegg, John Cho, Anton Yelchin, and Idris Elba
Directed by: Justin Lin

The continuation of the voyages of the USS Enterprise, by way of a prequel reboot, has yielded an interesting new arc in the science fiction franchise that Gene Roddenberry created in the 1960s. With J. J. Abrams at the helm, the revival has impressively bridged the gap between the old and the new, with the first film – 2009’s Star Trek – in particular doing a terrific job in re-establishing the beloved franchise. For the third chapter in the reboot series, Abrams has vacated the director’s chair and passed the baton to Justin Lin. The result is Star Trek Beyond, an instalment that boldly goes where Star Trek has gone before but still manages to be quite entertaining.

Led by Captain James Kirk (Chris Pine), the crew of the Enterprise are three years into their five-year exploratory mission when they are assigned the task of rescuing a ship stranded on a planet in uncharted space. But the rescue turns into an ambush as the Enterprise comes under attack by the evil Krall (Idris Elba) and his forces, which are after an ominous alien artefact. With no option but to abandon their ship, the crew finds themselves separated and stranded on the foreign planet. They must then regroup, figure out how to defeat Krall, and find a way to get off the planet.

There is a certain degree of predictability that is inescapable in franchises such as Star Trek, so the viewer is never in any doubt about which side will eventually emerge victorious. But the action-packed execution of the film still makes the journey exciting. The movie’s minutiae may not stand up to scrutiny, but the special effects, as always, are impressive, and there are action sequences (some of which evoke Lin’s Fast & Furious style) that are interestingly conceived and well shot.

The film does, however, seem more reliant on action than character development. Krall, for instance, doesn’t exactly make the most fascinating or menacing villain; the writers don’t do a very convincing job with his back-story and don’t convey his motivations with the necessary believability and impact. The supporting characters, on the other hand, just run around frantically while exchanging witty banter. The movie does spend some time helping us connect with its leads though. The struggle Kirk feels in finding continued meaning in the mission brings depth to his character. But ultimately, it’s Spock (Zachary Quinto) who gets the most poignant storyline, with a touching farewell to the late Leonard Nimoy weaved into the tale.

The movie’s style harks back to the old Star Trek television series as it pays homage to its origins. While the basic plotline feels familiar and the script isn’t as sharp as one would have hoped, there is enough wit and thrill to make Star Trek Beyond an entertaining ride. Yes, it doesn’t quite match the inventiveness and exuberance of the 2009 film that started the revival, but if you’ve enjoyed the reboot series so far, then you are very likely to enjoy this one too.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

- By Sameen Amer

The Express Tribune - 1st August, 2016 *

Ghostbusters - an exercise in mediocrity

movie review

Ghostbusters

Starring: Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon, Leslie Jones, Charles Dance, Michael Kenneth Williams, and Chris Hemsworth
Directed by: Paul Feig
Tagline: Answer the call.

The all-female reboot of the supernatural comedy franchise Ghostbusters has been generating controversy ever since the project was announced. But after being the centre of so much criticism and debate, it just feels downright disappointing that the movie is neither a masterpiece nor a train wreck and instead just settles for being emphatically mediocre.

Directed by Paul Feig, the new film revives the ’80s series, basically following a similar template as the original flick while assembling a new team of paranormal investigators who are itching to catch some ghosts.

As proceedings commence, ex-besties Erin (Kristen Wiig) and Abby (Melissa McCarthy) have gone their separate ways since co-authoring a book about paranormal phenomenon, with the former distancing herself from her past work that delved into the existence of ghosts and the latter embracing it with gusto. But a series of events brings the two back together when Erin reluctantly agrees to assist Abby and her eccentric colleague Jillian (Kate McKinnon) in a supernatural investigation. Meanwhile, after witnessing an apparition in the subway tunnel, transport worker Patty (Leslie Jones) finds her way to the ghostbusting group, rounding up the crew.

As ghost sightings increase in the area, the ladies discover that an occultist (Neil Casey) is attempting to unleash an army of the undead who are set to inflict unspeakable pain and torment on the living. Even though they are being denounced as frauds, it is still up to the Ghostbusters to stop the apocalypse and save the world.

The film makes several nods to the classic that spawned it, bringing back the famous Ghostbusters logo and Ray Parker Jr’s unforgettable theme song as well as many familiar faces, with original cast members making cameo appearances intermittently throughout the film. But just as it pays homage to the 1984 hit, the project keeps reminding viewers that it simply lacks the breezy fun of the original, and feels unimaginative and forced in comparison.

The humour is a bit bland and at times just doesn’t hit the mark because of a weak script. The gender switch – which also applies to the good looking but dumb secretary, played here entertainingly by Chris Hemsworth – allows the film-makers to assemble a cast of talented comedic actresses (most of whom have Saturday Night Live ties). Wiig and McCarthy (who is more restrained here than usual) seem natural and at ease in their roles. McKinnon’s maniacal mad scientist is amusing at first but quickly becomes borderline irritating. And the decision to make Jones’ character the only non-scientist of the group, as many have noted, really does feel retrograde.

Not as smart, funny or spooky as one would have hoped, 2016’s Ghostbusters ultimately just comes off as an average but unnecessary reboot. Feig’s uneven movie is a silly, affable adventure that lacks the originality, wit and fun that made the Ivan Reitman film such a memorable, enduring classic. There is nothing particularly special about the project, and ultimately it is neither abhorrent enough to justify the vitriolic response of its detractors, nor interesting enough to validate its existence.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5

- By Sameen Amer

The Express Tribune - 26th July, 2016 *

The world of Night Vale - from audio to print

book review

Book: Welcome to Night Vale

Author: Joseph Fink and Jeffrey Cranor

The strange town of Night Vale has captivated listeners since 2012 when Joseph Fink and Jeffrey Cranor first brought this fascinating fictional world to life in their terrific podcast, Welcome to Night Vale. The mysterious goings-on in this intriguingly peculiar setting have since been delivered to us regularly in bimonthly, half-hour installments. With each episode, we tune in to host Cecil Palmer’s (voiced by actor Cecil Baldwin) community radio show in which he relays the news and announcements from the desert town where “the sun is hot, the moon is beautiful, and mysterious lights pass overhead while we all pretend to sleep”. A delicious blend of surrealism and comedy has made the project one of the most successful podcasts online, and has spawned a companion piece, a novel titled Welcome to Night Vale.

The book takes us on an adventure in the bizarre land where time doesn’t work, people don’t believe in mountains, and it is illegal to consider the existence of angels (who obviously don’t exist, even the ones who live with Old Woman Josie out by the car lot). The story revolves around the lives of two women: Jackie Fierro and Diane Crayton.

Jackie is a teenager who runs the only pawnshop in Night Vale. She has been “recently 19 for as long as she could remember” because she does not age and has no recollection of her past. All she can recall are endless days at the pawnshop where she has been working for decades. But her life and all its routines are disrupted one day when a man in a tan jacket holding a deerskin suitcase stops by her shop. He pawns a slip of paper with the words “King City” written on it in dull, smeared pencil before running out to the desert. Jackie soon discovers that she can’t let go of the piece of paper; no matter what she does to it, it reappears in her hand. This, she quickly realises, is a bit of a problem.

Diane, a single mother, is raising her teenage son Josh who, unlike most boys his age, changes his physical form constantly.But, like most boys his age, Josh “thinks he is several things at once, many of them contradictory”. Diane works at an office in the marketing department and has become aware of the fact that her co-worker, Evan, has disappeared and been forgotten by everyone but her. Also, her ex, Troy, who she hadn’t seen in 15 years, is back in town. He hasn’t tried to contact the family yet, but Diane is starting to see him everywhere she goes. Josh is interested in meeting the father he last saw when he was a baby. This, she thinks, might not be the best idea.

In a quest to regain normalcy — or what passes for normalcy in Night Vale — both women set out to out resolve their predicaments. They are ultimately brought together, their desperation leading them to locations as harrowing and dreaded as the public library in a quest to understanding what is actually going on.

With a style that feels like an amalgam of Douglas Adams and H.P. Lovecraft by way of The Mighty Boosh, Welcome to Night Vale is a wonderfully crafted, charmingly bizarre concoction of silliness and eeriness with an offbeat look at life and existence. “What are people but deaths that haven’t happened yet?” a character asks at one point, summing up the book’s tone and its dark philosophies.

Night Vale’s reality may not align with the reality of the rest of the world, but its peculiarity often finds basis in real issues. Teenage struggle with identity manifests into literal shape shifting, as parents are confronted with a “faint, distorted echo” of their children. The inability to break a routine morphs into the course of a life getting frozen and looped. There are also satirical jabs at topics like newspapers and print media, government and governance, surveillance, and a host of other issues, delivered with deadpan wit (along with the requisite weirdness).

The writers expand on the eerie setting of the podcast as they take Night Vale and its quaintness from audio to print. Cecil’s radio show remains a continued presence in the novel; transcripts from the programme are interspersed with the story. Familiar characters — Old Woman Josie, the Angels named Erika, Carlos, John Peters, and the faceless old woman who secretly lives in your house — also make an appearance, as do familiar locations, like The Moonlite All-Nite diner and Big Rico’s Pizza.

The book stumbles a little, however, because of its pace. The non sequitur-ladenprose makes the progress slow. This is the same brand of quirky, random weirdness that has powered the podcast for the last four years. But it turns out that this quirky, random weirdness is a lot more entertaining when it is delivered in half hour doses through Cecil Baldwin’s soothing voice than in the form of a 400-page book. Things do pick up in the second half after Jackie and Diane join forces, and the authors’ descriptive style lets them create some interesting, tense scenes along the way, but the novel often loses momentum as it gets lost in its own whimsy, forgetting to move the story along. Also, while the lead characters are amiable, they aren’t very interesting. After years of listening to his community updates, we’d probably have been more invested in the story if Cecil was a more integral part of it.

On the whole, Welcome to Night Vale is an amusing, creative romp in the “town full of hidden evils and the secretly malevolent”. Its surreal premise, black humour, and deadpan style make the novel an enjoyable read, even though its slow pace makes the progress slightly labourious at times. This isn’t a fast-paced thriller, although that won’t come as a surprise to anyone who is familiar with the style of the podcast. If you haven’t experienced the crazy world of Night Vale yet, then you might want to download a few episodes to get a taste of the project. You are likely to enjoy the book if you like the podcast and don’t mind a novel that marinates at length in the weirdness of its setting and doesn’t hurry through its curious tale.

- Sameen Amer 

Books & Authors, Dawn - 24th July, 2016 *

In remembrance of Abdul Sattar Edhi

in memoriam

Whenever we’re about to lose faith in humanity (which is something that’s depressingly easy to accomplish - all you need to do is turn on the television), someone comes along to give us hope and prove that humans are indeed capable of greatness. From the man who spent decades struggling against apartheid and then forgave his persecutors, to the woman who dedicated her life to helping the destitute, there have been a handful of remarkable people who have strived to change the world we live in and made sure they left it a better place.

And we are blessed that one of these incredible figures was our very own champion of the poor, Abdul Sattar Edhi.

From his humble beginnings to his efforts in creating the country’s biggest welfare organization, the world’s greatest humanitarian defied the odds and spent decades helping reshape Pakistan. Even though he is no longer with us, his work will continue helping countless people for generations to come. And we must make sure that we continue to follow in his footsteps and fulfil the directive he left us in his last words: “meray mulk kae ghareeboun ka khayal rakhna”.

Edhi sahab’s kindness, compassion, and humbleness were all remarkable, and his love for everyone - irrespective of their status, cast, creed, or colour - was truly inspirational. He didn’t need an award to validate his accomplishments; his contributions to our society are emphatically visible and speak for themselves.

The most inspiring thing for me (as a friend of all the neighbourhood strays and a crazy cat lady in the making) was that the Edhi Foundation didn’t only undertake the monumental task of helping people - through services that include ambulances, shelters, orphanages, nursing homes and rehabilitation centres - but also provided sanctuary to animals and made sure that our distressed furry and feathered buddies had somewhere to go.

It is a universally acknowledged fact that Edhi sahab had a heart of gold, and no matter how much gratitude we show towards him isn’t enough. Few people have ever had the kind of impact on the world that Abdul Sattar Edhi did. There has never been - and probably will never be - anyone quite like him. And it is now our duty to follow his example and make sure both his name and work live forever.

- Sameen Amer

Us Magazine, The News - 22nd July, 2016 *

The Legend of Tarzan swings – and falls

movie review

The Legend of Tarzan

Starring: Alexander Skarsgård, Samuel L. Jackson, Margot Robbie, Djimon Hounsou, Jim Broadbent, and Christoph Waltz

Director: David Yates

Tagline: Human. Nature.

Hollywood’s penchant for revisiting familiar territories has led to the resurrection of a number of popular franchises, as many well-known characters have made their way back to the big screen. Joining this list is Tarzan, the ape-man created by Edgar Rice Burroughs who has already been the subject of a number of live-action features. His return to cinema this summer finds him revisiting his past in The Legend of Tarzan, an adventure that fails to offer anything new (or even mildly intriguing).

As the film commences, Tarzan (Alexander Skarsgård) has left Africa behind and settled down in London with his wife, Jane Porter (Margot Robbie). He is now John Clayton III, Lord of Greystoke, a respected member of society and a celebrity because of his life in the jungle. When he is approached by the British government to revisit Congo, John is reluctant to make the trip. His mind is changed by George Washington Williams (Samuel L Jackson) who persuades him to return to Africa and investigate the King of Belgium’s suspected use of slave labour in the region. Accompanied by Williams and the spirited Jane, John returns to his childhood home where he must face a nemesis from his past while trying to unite everyone against a tyrant hell-bent on enslaving a whole country.

The filmmakers can’t resist the urge to also retell the origin tale of the character; his back story is peppered throughout the movie via flashbacks, which further slows down the already sluggish pace of the drama. The plot begs for more action and adventure, but instead has to make do with generic developments and boring dialogues. The motives of the characters don’t always make sense, nor do their decisions.

The portrayals are mostly one-dimensional and unconvincing. The leads lack chemistry and appear to have been chosen primarily for their physical appearances. The script doesn’t give Skarsgård much to do with his role. Robbie’s Jane scoffs at being a damsel in distress but is then put in that very role for much of the film. Christoph Waltz plays the movie’s main villain, Captain Rom, a stereotypical baddie with no redeeming qualities. Jackson operates as a sidekick and comic relief, and while he seems committed to the role, the dull script lets him down.

Director David Yates doesn’t really leave any visible imprint on this film, and just dutifully presents its hackneyed plot, tired themes and trite messages. As a result, The Legend of Tarzan lacks the energy, wit and inventiveness that could have made the movie an enjoyable watch. The film is too serious and staid, and misses the chance to have fun with its silly premise. It’s hard to see why someone green lit this project and thought it would be a good idea to spend $180 million on it. The movie’s existence seems downright mysterious considering how thin its story is.

Ultimately, Tarzan offers nothing innovative or particularly exciting and just leaves you wishing the filmmakers and studios who insist on reviving well-worn characters would at least make the effort to add something new to the franchises they are resurrecting.

Rating: 2 out of 5

- By Sameen Amer

The Express Tribune - 15th July, 2016 *

Finding Dory - just keep swimming

movie review

Finding Dory

Voice cast: Ellen DeGeneres, Albert Brooks, Hayden Rolence, Ed O'Neill, Kaitlin Olson, Ty Burrell, Diane Keaton, and Eugene Levy
Directed by: Andrew Stanton
Tagline: An unforgettable journey she probably won't remember.

Pixar Animation Studios’ 2003 release Finding Nemo – the tale of a clownfish’s search for his abducted son – remains one of its cutest and most beloved offerings. Hence, it doesn’t come as a surprise that the animation powerhouse has decided to follow the aquatic adventure with a sequel.

The story, this time, revolves around the forgetful Dory (voiced by Ellen DeGeneres), a friendly regal blue tang with short-term memory loss, who helped the anxious clownfish Marlin (Albert Brooks) find young Nemo (Hayden Rolence) in the previous installment. A series of fragmented flashbacks reminds the scatterbrained fish that she was separated from her parents, Jenny (Diane Keaton) and Charlie (Eugene Levy), as a child, prompting her to go on a quest to find her family. Along the way, she accidentally gets separated from her companions, Marlin and Nemo, who frantically try to search for her. Dory ends up in a Marine Life Institute, where she meets and seeks help from various creatures – including cranky seven-legged octopus Hank (Ed O’Neill), beluga whale Bailey (Ty Burrell), and her childhood friend, near-sighted whale shark Destiny (Kaitlin Olson) – who try to reunite her with her parents.

This isn’t exactly the most imaginative, intricate story Pixar has ever come up with, but it’s still a touching, amusing escapade that is both fun and poignant. The proceedings don’t always take the most convincing path and feel significantly less believable than Nemo’s adventure, which is why the movie makes you wish its resolutions had relied a little less on random luck. The result, therefore, isn’t as delightful as the terrific Finding Nemo, but there is still a lot to love about the sequel. Finding Dory successfully transitions a side character into the protagonist, a task made easier by the fact Dory is a lovely character and is voiced with such warmth and exuberance by DeGeneres that it’s simply impossible not to love her. Indeed, the entire voice cast is terrific. O’Neill, in particular, steals the show as the grumpy “septopus” Hank, who is one of the most memorable additions to the franchise.

As with all Pixar outings, the animation is top-notch, the visuals are impressive, and the characters are the very definition of cuteness. Finding Dory is full of joy, sorrow, and everything in between, and its emotional impact is what makes it special. The movie is on a mission to hit you right in the feels and refuses to let you leave the cinema without shedding a few tears. (Some of its sad and intense scenes might even be a bit overwhelming for younger viewers.)

On the whole, while Finding Dory doesn’t quite match the wit and inventiveness of the joy that was with its predecessor, it still wins you over with oodles of charm and a heart-warming look at family, friendship, and perseverance. Viewers who have fond memories of the 2003 classic are sure to revel in the nostalgia Finding Dory evokes and are very likely to enjoy this sequel.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

- By Sameen Amer

The Express Tribune - 8th July, 2016 *